Toy runway



Jan. 14, 1964 A. EINFALT 3,117,395

TOY RUNWAY Filed Feb. 28, 19.61 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 14, 1964 v A. EINFALT 3,117,395

TOY RUNWAY Filed Feb. 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,1173% TOY RUNWAY Alfred Einfait, Nnrnherg, Germany, assignor to Gehruder Eintalt Blechspielwarenfahrik, Numberg, Germany Filed Feb. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 92,193 Claims priority, application Germany Mar. Z, 1960 8 Claims. (Cl. 46116) The invention relates to a toy with a runway in the form of a crossing with toy vehicles movable thereon.

The invention has for its object to produce a toy characterized by unexpected effects. Furthermore the toy according to the invention constitutes an interesting pastime for children because it illustrates full-size technical procedures in an ingenious manner.

To attain this object the toy is so constructed that the runway is provided with a miniature house, for example a pump station with a movable figure, such as a tank attendant which is caused to move out of and back again into the house by a passing vehicle.

The toy figure is preferably mounted on one arm of a two-armed pivot lever, the other arm of which extends into the path of movement of the passing toy vehicle. Thus a toy vehicle passing by the house causes the toy figure to come out of the house, thereby giving the impression that he wishes to fill the tank of the vehicle. This impression is emphasized by a stop Which arrests the passing vehicle. If after the servicing the stopped vehicle is to be allowed to proceed, an operating member to be actuated by another toy vehicle running on another stretch of track is provided for disengaging the stop.

The return of the toy figure into the house is effected according to the invention by the fact that the pivot lever carrying the figure moves the figure back into its initial position under the action of gravity. By this means return devices with springs or the like, which are liable to failures and add to the cost of the toy, are dispensed with.

In order to add to the attraction of the toy, it is advan- I tageous to construct the track in the form of an '8 and to arrange another stop in front of the crossing following the stopping place at the house. The operating member for disengaging the second stop arranged in front of the crossing is actuated by a vehicle running past the stop at the house; however is preferably arranged on the loop of the 8 shaped track remote from the house shortly before this track reaches the point of intersection.

The operating members project into the path of travel of the vehicles and can therefore be operated thereby.

This arrangement of the stops and operating members and flso making the track in the form of an 8 give to the effect of the toy above described an addition unexpected impression of an unavoidable accident at the crossing. As the operating member of the stop at the house is arranged in the remote loop shortly before it enters the crossing, a toy vehicle running over the operating member disengages the stop of the toy vehicle at a standstill at the house. Both the toy vehicles therefore move towards the crossing. The second stop following the stop at the house brings the second vehicle to a standstill at the last moment when a collision already appears unavoidable, so that the other vehicle can run through the crossing without hindrance. This vehicle, as it continues its travel, draws up in front of the house. in so doing it disengages the stop of the vehicle at a standstill in front of the crossing. The sequence of operations then commences afresh.

Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example an embodiment of the new toy.

3,117,395 Patented Jan. 14, 1964 FIG. 1 shows the toy in perspective view;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a similar section to FIG. 2 as a toy vehicle is running past an operating member;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 at the moment when the operating member is being actuated;

FIG. 6 shows a portion of the toy track on a larger scale;

FIG. 7 is a section on line VIIVII of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 8 shows a toy vehicle in side elevation partly broken away.

In FIG. 1 a toy according to the invention is illustrated in perspective view. The track a consists of two loops b and 0 connected by a crossing d. The track is therefore in the form of an 8. Toy vehicles e .and e which are driven by clocnwork, for example, run on the track. Within the loop 0 a miniature house, for example a pump station 1 is arranged. 'Inside the track at g a pivot two-armed lever h is mounted and carries on one arm il a toy figure, for example representing a pump station attendant i. The other arm I1 projects into the range of movement of the toy vehicles e and e The pivotal axis formed by bearing points k and k of the two-armed pivot lever 11 (FIG. 7) is inclined at an angle to the vertical so that on the release of the arm h the weight of lever h causes it to turn back to its original position so that the toy figure always moves back into the pump station 1.

A stop I is arranged in front of the pump station 7. This consists of a slot m in the track. A toy vehicle e approaching the stop is brought to a standstill in known manner by its drop plate It falling into the slot in. At the same time the vehicle e swings the arm h so that the station attendant i moves out of the tank station 1 and approaches the vehicle. The control, that is the release of the stop and the restarting of the vehicle e is efiected by an operating member 0 which is arranged in the loop 12. This operating member and a plate p are connected by a two-armed lever q mounted at r. When the operating member 0 is depressed the plate p is forced into the slot m. The centre of gravity of the two-armed lever q is preferably located between the bearing point r and the plate p.

Following the main stop I is another stop also consist ing of a slot m located shortly before the crossing d. it is of similar construction to the main stop I. A vehicle e is brought to a standstill by the slot m The stop is disengaged and the stopped vehicle released by means of a plate p which is pushed into the slot m by depressing its operating member 0 The operating member 0 and the plate p are connected by a two-armed lever q which is mounted at r Its centre of gravity is located between the bearing point r and the plate p The operating member 0 projects at the main slot 1 into the path of travel or" a passing vehicle so that this vehicle, before it comes to a standstill at the main stop, actuates the operating member 0 I claim:

1. A toy comprising a continuous track having at least one crossing, and having two self-driven toy vehicles guided thereon, said vehicles being protected against collision by two stopping means positioned at locations along said track one behind the other adjacent said crossing, release means actuated by movement of a vehicle along one portion of said track for rendering ineffective said stopping means located furthest from said crossing, said release means being positioned at a location along said track remote from said crossing, and second release means actuated by movement of a Vehicle along another portion of said track for rendering ineffective the stopping means located nearest said crossing, said second release means being positioned in proximity to the stopping means positioned furthest from said crossing.

2. A toy as described by claim 1 and including a miniature house arranged adjacent to said stopping means furthest from said crossing, a toy figure carried by said house, means mounting said toy figure for movement into and out of said house, and means to actuate said toy figure by movement of a vehicie along said track at a location in proximity to said stopping means furthest from said crossing.

3. A toy according to claim 2, wherein said toy figure is mounted on one arm of a two-armed lever, the other arm of which projects into the path of movement of the travelling vehicles.

4. A toy according to claim 3, wherein said two-armed lever carrying the toy figure is hinged so that it is urged toward its initial position by the force of gravity.

5. A toy according to claim 1, wherein each means for rendering ineffective one of said stopping means projects into the path of travel of said vehicles and is actuated thereby.

6. A toy according to claim 5 wherein each of said release means for rendering inefiective one of said stopping means comprises a two-arm lever mounted on the under side of said track, one arm of said lever having a cam surface projecting through said track and into a path of travel of a vehicle.

7. A toy according to claim 6, wherein the centre of gravity of each of the two-armed levers is located between its bearing point on the track and the stop.

8. A toy according to claim 2, wherein each vehicle is driven by a clockwork mechanism controlled by a drop plate, and wherein each of said stopping means consists of a slot in the track into which the drop plate of the ehicle falls and thus stops the clockwork mechanism of the vehicle, and plates arranged at one end of each of said two-armed levers slide into said slots and thereby release the stopped vehicle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,244,182 DOench Oct. 23, 1917 1,966,031 Handy July 10, 1934 FOREI GN PATENTS 677,910 Great Britain Aug. 27, 1952 1,219,441 France Dec. 28, 1959 

1. A TOY COMPRISING A CONTINUOUS TRACK HAVING AT LEAST ONE CROSSING, AND HAVING TWO SELF-DRIVEN TOY VEHICLES GUIDED THEREON, SAID VEHICLES BEING PROTECTED AGAINST COLLISION BY TWO STOPPING MEANS POSITIONED AT LOCATIONS ALONG SAID TRACK ONE BEHIND THE OTHER ADJACENT SAID CROSSING, RELEASE MEANS ACTUATED BY MOVEMENT OF A VEHICLE ALONG ONE PORTION OF SAID TRACK FOR RENDERING INEFFECTIVE SAID STOPPING MEANS LOCATED FURTHEST FROM SAID CROSSING, SAID RELEASE MEANS BEING POSITIONED AT A LOCATION ALONG SAID TRACK REMOTE FROM SAID CROSSING, AND SECOND RELEASE MEANS ACTUATED BY MOVEMENT OF A VEHICLE ALONG ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID TRACK RENDERING INEFFECTIVE THE STOPPING MEANS LOCATED NEAREAST SAID CROSSING, SAID SECOND RELEASE MEANS BEING POSITIONED IN PROXIMITY TO THE STOPPING MEANS POSITIONED FURTHEST FROM SAID CROSSING.
 2. A TOY AS DESCRIBED BY CLAIM 1 AND INCLUDING A MINIATURE HOUSE ARRANGED ADJACENT TO SAID STOPPING MEANS FURTHEST FROM SAID CROSSING, A TOY FIGURE CARRIED BY SAID HOUSE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID TOY FIGURE FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF SAID HOUSE, AND MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID TOY FIGURE BY MOVEMENT OF A VEHICLE ALONG SAID TRACK AT A LOCATION IN PROXIMITY TO SAID STOPPING MEANS FURTHEST FROM SAID CROSSING. 